Georgia may see severe weather Thursday

Nearly the entire state of Georgia is included in a "slight risk" category for severe weather on Thursday. Portions of the mid-Atlantic states are included in a "moderate risk" area for Thursday. (NOAA/SPC)

(WXIA) - A major severe weather outbreak in the Midwest and moving into the mid-Atlantic states Wednesday is a precursor to possible severe weather in Georgia on Thursday.

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center says a risk for severe weather on Wednesday stretches from Iowa to the Delaware and Maryland shores of the Atlantic Wednesday afternoon and evening. They said an enhanced risk of severe storms and tornadoes exists for portions of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Forecasters said a major severe weather event called a derecho, which is a long-lived straight-line of severe thunderstorms, is expected to set up in Iowa or Illinois and spread eastward over the course of the afternoon. Past derecho events have pushed winds exceeding hurricane force across portions of the nation.

On Georgia, the severe weather is expected to move southeastward, with an area of severe weather expected from Mississippi to as far northward as New York City. Nearly the entire state of Georgia is included in a "slight risk" category for severe weather on Thursday. Portions of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey are included in a "moderate risk" area for Thursday.

In Atlanta, 11Alive Meteorologist Chesley McNeil says temperatures on Wednesday are expected to be hot, with a high in the low 90s expected. Similar highs are expected Thursday, with a chance for storms later in the day.